Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operating device and an image processing apparatus for judging the validity/invalidity of the operation by detecting operator's gaze.
Description of Related Art
In recent years, various technologies for controlling the validity or the like of the operation by detecting a user's gaze, have been proposed.
For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-142878, in a portable terminal, it is judged whether a user gazes at a display screen. In case that the user gazes at the display screen, a key operation unit is activated.
Further, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-45169, in a car navigation device, a driver's gaze is detected. When the driver gazes a monitor of the navigation device, operation keys are not displayed or the whole window is not displayed.
In Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-267071, in case that a predetermined enter operation is carried out when a user gazes at the characters to be input in a character list, even though the user's gaze is shifted from the characters at the timing of the predetermined enter operation, a gaze input device for inputting the characters at which the user gazes judges the shift of the user's gaze in accordance with the sequential change in the position of the user's gaze and inputs the characters which the user wants to input.
An error input of the key operation includes a reparable case (in which even though the key operation is wrongly carried out, the wrong key operation hardly has a bad influence), and an irreparable case (in which when the key operation is wrongly carried out, the wrong key operation has a significant influence). For example, in a facsimile device, in case that the characters or the numbers are input to set the destination or to input various settings, even though a wrong input button of a character or a number is pressed, a user is aware of the wrong operation by viewing the displayed input contents. Therefore, it is possible to correct the input contents by inputting characters again. In this case, even though the key operation is wrongly carried out, the situation caused by the wrong operation can be repaired.
On the other hand, in case of a job execution starting operation, a reset operation, a delete operation for deleting data from a memory, and the like, the error input has a significant influence and the situation caused by the error input cannot be repaired. For example, in case that a user who is accustomed to using a device operates the device without viewing the operation buttons, when a transmission button is wrongly pressed, the transmission process is advertently started. Then, even though a user is aware of the starting of the transmission process by viewing the indication of the finish of the transmission, the situation caused by the wrong operation cannot be repaired.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-142878 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-45169, in the technology for judging the validity of the key operation according to whether a user gazes at the display window, the device does not discriminate the operation button in which the bad situation can be repaired even though the wrong operation is carried out, from the operation button in which the bad situation cannot be repaired in case that the wrong operation is carried out. Therefore, even in case that the operation button in which the bad situation can be repaired even though the wrong operation is carried out, is pressed, a user has to operate the above operation button while the user views the display window. It is inconvenient for the user who is accustomed to operating a device because the user cannot slightly look away.
The technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-267071, is the technology for automatically judging the position of the user's intended gaze even though the user's gaze is slightly shifted. This technology does not contribute to the solution of the above problem.